Deep Into The Unknown
by Dragon Master271
Summary: Rated PG for now (soon to change). The Battousai is sent on a mission to kidnap Kaoru, but he's in for a suprise because she's got a problem that will be said in a later chapter. Please R
1. Running

Deep Into The Unknown  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Running  
  
It was raining. That was all he noticed. A lone figure raced down the streets of modern day Tokyo. Any onlookers would have thought that he was just in a hurry, but they didn't know who the figure was. The figure apparently knew where he was going, because he didn't look up at all. He raced on down the street heading for a certain house at the end of town. The house was also considered a dojo, since the occupants inside taught a fighting style for a living. The lone figure stopped just long enough to remember why he was here.  
  
/Flashback/  
  
"Her name is Kaoru Kamiya." Katsura stated while looking at him. "Battousai, this is not the sort of mission that you are used to. I want her brought back alive, and I don't mean for just one day either. You remember what happened then, so there's no need for me to remind you of the consequences of your-"  
  
"Enough Katsu. I get the point, but don't you usually send Sagara for missions that involve women?"  
  
"That may be true, but if you recall, he's on another mission. That means that you have to take this one. I'll just tell him that he owes you. Now get going, and watch out for any guards." Katsura said as Battousai walked out the door.  
  
/ End Flashback/  
  
"Yeah, like there'll be any guards here that can stop me." Battousai smirked to himself as he looked up at this destination. 


	2. Mission In Progress

Chapter 2  
  
Mission In Progress  
  
Battousai stared at the small dojo. 'There's no way that such a small dojo will have any guards. Like I would waste any time on them anyway. Well, might as well let myself in since it doesn't appear that anyone will welcome a hidokiri to their home with open arms.' He thought to himself as he looked for a window that was opened wide enough for him to get in. He found one toward the back and entered.  
  
He was surprised at how desolate the dojo was. Even dojo's that were closing had more that what this one did. Battousai felt no remorse as he walked around looking for the rooms for his targets. After three trips, he got lost on the first two trips and had to backtrack to the way he came in, he finally found a door marked with the sign of a dojo master. Battousai opened the door and walked in. 'How dumb can these people be? They must want me to kill them and they deserve to die due to their stupidity but that's not what I was sent here to do.' Battousai thought to himself as he approached the sleeping form and began drawing his katana.  
  
Kaoru Kamiya was getting ready for bed when she heard a noise. It sounded like someone cussing. Instinct told her that there was someone else in the house, someone who wasn't friendly. The cussing stopped outside her father's room. Even though she was afraid, a fear for her father had her heading toward the room with a bokken in hand.  
  
Battousai stared at his newest victim. He still held the bokken at which he had tried to defend his life. That bokken had not lasted very long against a katana. The broken pieces were all that remained. He wiped the blood on the father's shirt and turned at the sudden presence he felt.  
There before him was the girl he was supposed to kidnap, with another bokken. She looked past him to the body of her father. When she finally looked at him he could clearly see the rage in her eyes. She charged and swung. Her blows didn't connect. She raised her shocked eyes to his face. He then saw the rage replaced by fear. Kaoru quickly turned and ran. Battousai smirked at the fleeing form and began to chase.  
  
Kaoru ran blindly out of the dojo into the forest. After running for 10 minutes she decided to stop. As she sat down and leaned against a tree, her eyes began to change color. Battousai approached not noticing the change occurring.  
  
"Are you going to come nicely or do I have to take you the hard way?" He asked.  
  
"I refuse to let you take her." A cold yet powerful voice answered him. Battousai's last thought before feeling pain was 'What the Hell is going on?'  
  
"In case you were wondering, my name is Night Flash. I don't appreciate anyone interrupting my training session." Night Flash replied her katana was drawn and covered with blood. Battousai quickly looked and saw that his side had been cut and it had happened so fast he didn't notice it. Night Flash just stood up from her crouching position and readied herself to strike again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* That's all for now. Please R&R. Kenshin will from now on do the disclaimer. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Thanks to all my reviewers.  
  
The victim ran as far as he could but could not escape the dragons that pursued him. On one dragon's shoulder a shadow emerged. The victim was slayed by the shadow's sword. ~ Night Flash legend. 


	3. Finished Fight

Deep Into The Unknown  
Chapter 3  
Finished Fight  
  
Battousai couldn't believe this. There was a long slash mark on his side. 'How did I allow this to happen? Damn she's strong but not as strong as me.' He drew his Katana and got into the BattouJustu stance. He eyed his opponent and waited for her move.  
  
Night Flash glared at Battousai. Who does he think he is interrupting her training session? If I could hit him without paying attention he would be in trouble when she was focused. She watched his movements and realized what he planned. 'I'm not stupid Battousai through you may wish I was after I'm through with you.' She thought as she charged and vanished before Battousai's eyes.  
  
One minute she was there, the next she was gone. Battousai calmed down and turned to the left to block her attack. Only she wasn't there. He felt cold metal piece his skin on his right side. 'Why couldn't I sense her?' He growled to himself. He observed her movements and attacked.  
  
Night Flash dodged his attack and did a back flip which landed her on a tree branch. "Come now can't the Hidokiri Battousai do better than that? You haven't even- Damn you!" She yelled as he finally hit her.  
  
Battousai smirked. "You were saying."  
  
"Why won't you die?" she yelled as she slashed him again. Suddenly the katana fell to the ground and Night Flash gripped her head in pain. "I won't let you have control Crimson Light. He'll kill you and I won't help you if you trust this fool." As if from nowhere a voice answered her. "Night Flash you don't trust enough people. You don't know people and you still judge them. Let me go and I'll prove to you that he's not what you think." Crimson Light replied. Slowly Kaoru's eyes turned back to their normal color. "I hate the nickname they've given me. Just because I'm the neutral side they call me Crimson Light." Kaoru muttered to herself. She suddenly realized that she wasn't alone. She looked up and saw Battousai glaring down at her and if looks could kill, she would be dead about 50 times. "I apologize for Night Flash's behavior. She is one of my protectors and doesn't like to be disturbed or see me threatened in any way. Now let's bandage those wounds." Kaoru moved toward Battousai, but he drew away from her.  
  
He turned and grabbed her wrists and turned her to face him. "You will come with me and this time you had better listen to me or else I'll be forced to hurt you and I won't be considerate to you just because you're a girl either." He finished as he drug her along behind him.  
  
"What's your problem? I said I was sorry and you just start dragging me along. You don't know how to treat a woman. Let me go right now. Hey I'm talking to you. Are you listening to me?" she asked in a last attempt to be nice.  
  
Battousai wasn't listening to a word she said. 'What am I going to do with her? One minute I'm looking at a normal girl and the next she goes evil or something and tries to kill me. What kind of assignment did I get myself into anyway?' He mentally moaned.  
  
'I could help you. She's like us and you know it. I could win her trust and hopefully keep her and ourselves safe from her personalities.'  
  
'Shut up Rurouni. What do you know anyway?'  
  
'Well for one she's been talking to you this whole time and is getting really angry. Something else is your grip is hurting her. Loosen up or let go. Her eyes are coming close to changing and I don't want another encounter with Night Flash do you?'  
  
'No but I'm not going to let go.'  
  
'Then let me take over. I'm sure if she has someone to talk to she'll be able to control them. Also it might keep us from harm if she's on our side.'  
  
'You've got a point, but don't do anything pansy-like or you'll be sorry.' Battousai finished as he let his Rurouni side take control. (For the sake of everyone I'll call the Rurouni side Kenshin until Battousai gives Kaoru his real name.)  
  
Kenshin looked up and uttered a single word, which made Battousai mentally slap himself. "Oro?"  
  
Kaoru looked up at the sound of the strange word. Kenshin turned around and loosened his grip on her wrists.  
  
"What do you want with me?"  
  
"That is something that will have to be answered later, that it will."  
  
"Why can't you tell me now?"  
  
"I don't have the authority to until we get back to my apartment." Kenshin said as he walked up to his car and let Kaoru in the passenger side.  
  
"What! I can't believe this. You kidnap me for no reason and when I ask you why you won't tell me. No wonder Night Flash tells me not to trust anyone."  
  
Kenshin cringed at the mention of Night Flash. "You can trust me Kaoru- dono. I may be mean at times but I never mean it."  
  
None of this got through to Kaoru. She sat in silence, which worried Kenshin. He sped up and drove to his apartment on the deserted road. Sine it was so late no one would be on the road at this time. The apartment came into view and Kenshin couldn't have been happier. As he pulled into the parking lot a figure came out of the apartment complex and headed for them.  
  
"Hey Kenshin. What do you have in the backseat?" Sanosuke Sagara asked as his gaze turned to Kaoru.  
  
"Had you arrived earlier I would be asking you the same question. My assignment required her to accompany me if you get the point." Battousai replied as he tilted his head toward Kaoru who was beginning to panic.  
  
"What's the matter Jou-Chan? All you have to do id cooperate and we'll get along just fine. By the way, what's your name?" Sano inquired.  
  
Kaoru looked up at Sano. She took a deep breath and regained her senses. "My name is Kaoru Kamiya sir, hajimashite."  
  
"Come now. Calling me sir makes me feel old. Besides we're all friends here so there's no need to be formal. Where are my manners? I'm Sanosuke Sagara." Sano replied as he opened the door on Kaoru's side.  
  
As he started to help Kaoru out she began resisting. She started punching and kicking him until he finally relented. He then looked down at her and saw her fear. 'Damn I don't know what I did to scare her, but she can sure as hell put up a good fight when she's scared.' Sano thought to himself as he pondered how to get Kaoru out of the car.  
  
The door on Kaoru's other side opened and Battousai grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out. She elbowed him in the stomach and moved out of his grasp. "You expect me to just come along quietly don't you? There's no way I'm going in there. Not now, not ever. You'll just be wasting your time. Besides I won't go until you tell me why you kidnapped me to begin with." Kaoru finished.  
  
A smirk crossed Battousai's face. "You really want to know why I kidnapped you? It began 15 years ago. Your father was a big business man. He struck a deal with this one group called the Shinsangumi. He didn't know what the consequences of the deal might be. They required him to spy on a group called the Ishin Shishi and report back to them any findings. When our boss Katsura found out he started setting up a plan to get back at your father. When he found out about you he decided to use you to get back at your father. We all know he showed you the folders of evidence he gathered from watching us. We want to know how much he got and how much you know. I would say with your skills in fighting you could join us and become a Hidokiri as well."  
  
"Why the hell would I want to be a Hidokiri like you? I don't even like to fight. That is except when my life's on the line or I'm bored. Night Flash however is another story as you've found out. She doesn't care to kill anyone who makes her angry." Kaoru replied.  
  
Sano finally took interest in the conversation. "Who's Night Flash?"  
  
No one looked at Sano. He patiently waited for an answer and was finally granted one. Kaoru looked up at Sano's face.  
  
"Sano, Night Flash is my evil side. You'll know when she's here because my eyes will go black. She is the one who possesses the will to kill. She is the one who taught me to not trust any mortal who confronted me. Battousai has already met her and knows her power. That's why he thinks I'll be a good assassin. In my heart I know he's right, even though I hate to admit it. I guess I should tell you that there's more than Night Flash and me. All you have to do is watch my eye color to find out who is in control." Kaoru replied as a tear slid down her cheek. She bent her head so no one would notice, but the two men saw and decided to say nothing to her.  
  
A cold wind blew making Kaoru shiver slightly. "Come on Jou-Chan, let's get you inside where it's warm. I bet you'll like it here with us. Even if Battousai is less than friendly, the rest of us are. Hey do you play video games?" Sano rambled on as he put an arm around Kaoru's shoulder and led her inside, much to Battousai's disapproval. Of course Sano didn't notice. He was to busy talking to Kaoru and telling her about all the great things they could do during her stay. Battousai couldn't help but smile at Sano's nature.  
  
'Same old Sano. No matter who he talks to he can befriend anyone instantly. He'd probably befriend a robber or murderer. Not that anyone of those could get in the Ishin Shishi headquarters. Even though it looks like a normal apartment complex, it has state of the art security systems installed. All the doors have codes that open the doors. The room's occupants are notified when the codes are changes, periodically and only Katsura knows the codes to every room, but knowing Sano Kaoru's already gotten the code to his room. In case of emergencies. Like me trying to murder her or something like that.' A smile crossed Battousai's face as another idea that might qualify as an emergency to Kaoru crossed his mind. He shook his head to get rid of it as soon as possible. He then locked the car and shut the doors. After that was done, he trudged up the steps of the complex and opened the door. He began looking for Sano and Kaoru and a shadow watched from across the hall.  
  
A.N. I apologize for the delay in my writing. I couldn't think of where I wanted the story to start heading. I thank all my reviewers. Once again I've forgotten the disclaimer.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters from the anime or manga.  
  
Thanks once again and R&R. Until next chapter, I'll see you later. 


	4. New Friends and Foes

Chapter 4

New Friends and Foes

A shadow streaked through the night. No one would notice him. It looked as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere important, and he was. Ryou Makimura was rushing to his boss. The brown haired green-eyed man was hired as a spy to acquire information referring to the Battousai by the only group who dared rival him at every turn. Ryou ran into the innocent looking police station and started looking for smoke. Where there was smoke, there was Satio Hajime. Or at least so the members of the police force said. He calmly walked through the station and saw his boss at last. Saito was sitting at his desk, which was covered in folders from various cases, smoking. As Ryou approached, Saito looked up and gestured for him to sit down in the chair next to the cluttered desk.

"I trust you have some information for me?" Saito asked with interest.

"I do. It seems our friend has a woman with him now. The woman is Kamiya's daughter." Ryou stated. At the mention of Kamiya, Saito's eyebrows went up.

"Does she know any of the information we trusted her father with?"

"Not sure, but I plan to find out."

"Good. You know what to do if she does know anything and decides to tell our red-haired friend." Saito said dismissing Ryou immediately. Ryou nodded and headed back to the apartment.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Kaoru and Sano were parked in front of a big screen TV playing Soul Calibur 2. At which Sano was getting his butt kicked. Kenshin just watched them taking amusement in the beating Sano was taking.

"Come on Jou-Chan. Give me a break! You've won 7 times in a row." Sano pleaded as she KO'd Sano another time.

"Nope. But if I recall you were the one bragging that only Battousai could beat you. Guess I proved you wrong." Kaoru said as she laughed at Sano's pleading face. If anyone looked closely at her eyes they would see small traces of silver mixed with the sapphire blue, but no one did except Battousai because Sano's and Kaoru's eyes were glued to the TV once again.

'This could be trouble.' Battousai thought with a concerned expression. Images from his fight with Night Flash played through his head, which was a fight he never wanted to go through again.

'I don't feel any hostility coming from her. Maybe if she decides to switch, it won't be Night Flash. At least I hope.' The Rurouni piped up.

'It seems like you're getting too close to her.'

'What would make you think that?' The Rurouni replied with an innocent smile.

'When you do things like that. Oh and next time I let you take control stop saying Oro. It's aggravating.'

'Oro? What do you mean?'

"Forget it." Battousai said out loud. The others paid him no attention. He looked up just in time for Sano to lose again, much to the ex-gangster's dismay.

"That's victory number 10 Sano. Now who's the master of this game?" Kaoru asked with blazing silver eyes.

Sano couldn't help but stare at her eyes. 'So this is what Kenshin was talking about.' At Kaoru's stare he stopped that train of thought. "Technically you have to beat Battousai to get that title. He's beaten me as many times as you did with out paying attention. However I don't think he's in the mood to play video games. At least not without some persuasion." He replied as they both turned to face Battousai.

Battousai looked up and saw Kaoru's eyes. He walked calmly over to her. "Just who are you now?" He asked while looking at her eyes.

"I guess Crimson Light's eyes have changed. I am called Silver Streak. If you think I'm like Night Flash you're wrong. I'm the good side so you don't have to worry about me trying to kill you." A childish voice replied. She looked innocently back at him. "Now that I've told you my name it's polite for you to tell me your name as well."

"What makes you think I'm polite? However I'll be nice for once. If you manage to beat me at Soul Calibur 2, I'll tell you my real name." Battousai said as he grabbed Sano's vacant seat in front of the TV and his controller. Silver Streak smiled and followed. Battousai selected Misturugi and Silver Streak chose Talim. Sano watched in interest as the fight began.

They were fighting until someone was KO'd twice. Silver Streak won first then Battousai. The final match was underway. After 5 minutes, Silver Streak had a slight lead in health. The fight dragged on for 10 more minutes. Finally Silver Streak unleashed a powerful attack, which connected with Battousai, which ended the match. Sano stared in awe.

"I win. Now you got to tell me your name." Silver Streak said while smiling.

Battousai groaned and stared at Silver Streak. "Fine. If you must know it's Kenshin. Kenshin Himura. That's all I'm telling you until you beat me again. Next time I won't go easy on you."

"Oh so you were going easy on me? I've got news for you Kenshin. I'm better than that when I'm paying attention. If it's alright with you I'll let Crimson Light have control now, so see you later." Silver Streak stated as her eyes faded back to their normal blue color.

Kaoru looked at the two men who were staring at her. "What happened this time?" She asked with a sigh. She knew they had probably met another of her sides. 'I doubt it was Night Flash because most of the room would probably be torn apart. In her mind she recalled the conversation Silver Streak had with Kenshin. "Was it Silver Streak? If it was, at least you know that not all my sides are evil. I just have about 3 or 4 violent sides. Those you'll probably meet later." She said while staring intently at Kenshin. "If you want I'll tell you about them so you'll know when to get out of the room. Before you ask I'm the only one who can get rid of or kill them. If anyone attacks them I receive the wound as well. As you can see if you look at my side." She said as she pointed to the bloody patch of cloth in the exact spot Night Flash was wounded.

Kenshin couldn't believe he had missed something like that. Normally he could smell the blood but for some reason he never noticed it. "Sano, go find Megumi. Tell her to hurry." Kenshin told Sano as he was heading toward Kaoru. Sano nodded and rushed out the door to Megumi's room. Satisfied that Sano was gone, he turned to Kaoru. "Why didn't you tell us?" He asked as he looked intently at her bloody side.

"You act as if I should tell you everything. You may be my kidnapper but I can keep a few secrets from you." Kaoru looked at him with rage clearly etched on her face.

Battousai glared at Kaoru. 'How can she be so stupid? If she tries to hide the slightest thing, I'll make sure she regrets it.' He thought as he watched Kaoru carefully. The two stayed locked in a staring contest until Sano came back with a familiar Kitsune trailing behind him. As soon as Kaoru was spotted Megumi Takani shoved Sano out of the way, nearly knocking him into a wall.

"Hey Kitsune, watch what you're shoving. I almost hit the wall." Sano stated while pointing at the wall.

"Sorry. Next time I'll remember to shove you harder. Maybe then you'll learn to move when there's a patient." Megumi said over her shoulder as she led Kaoru over to a chair and got her to sit down.

"That was mean Kitsune. It's not my fault you always walk behind me." Sano said while pouting, which made Kaoru laugh and wince when Megumi moved the cloth so she could get a better view of the wound. She stared accusingly at Kenshin before asking the 'Rooster Head' to pass her the medical bag. Sano groaned at the nickname but did as she asked.

Kenshin stayed back, watching for any signs of Kaoru switching during the examination. 'If she switches now, there's no telling who I'll end up fighting. Four or five violent sides. Man I thought I had problems, but she's in worse shape than I am. I can't help but wonder what caused her to have so many.' Kenshin pondered while moving to the nearest vacant seat by Kaoru.

Kaoru was barely aware of what was happening. She kept fading in and out not registering any of her surroundings. The apartment faded away and was replaced by her house. She saw a man sneak up to her parent's room and quietly shut the door. Kaoru followed and saw exactly what happened next. The man had black hair and eyes like a wolf. He drew his katana and plunged it into her mother's chest. Her mother jumped as the blade plunged into her chest, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her father had been awakened by the movement and drew his katana, ready to avenge his wife's death.

The two combatants watched each other carefully, waiting for the other to make a move. Finally the rage had gotten to her father and he charged ahead bringing his sword low aiming for the man's stomach. The man's eyes finally opened, which had been closed since the murder had been completed. He moved slightly to the right and raised his katana to effectively block the attack. Her father grasped the katana harder and slashed upward while moving to the left. The man jumped back and flipped his blade so it was along his arm. "Now it's time for you to join your wife in hell. Your daughter will be joining you shortly." He said with a smile. He moved toward Kaoru's father at a speed so fast that if anyone blinked they would have missed it. Her father tried to intercept the blade but it plunged into his stomach, whit his blade one inch above it. The man smiled at her father's shocked look and watched with pleasure as his eyes glazed over.

"Now for the girl and my job's done here." He said as he wiped his bloody sword on her father's dead body and headed toward her room.

Kaoru's eyes widened at that statement. She was watching the murder of her parents, something the cops never solved. She watched as the unknown assailant walked with confidence to her room. She remembered this scene all too well. She had only been 6 then, not old enough to hold off an attack from an adult, even though by then she was well adept at kendo. She had watched as her door opened and the man had stepped in. At first she had thought it was her father, but she then noticed his eyes. The man had reached out to grab her neck but she had ducked out of his reach and began moving away from him.

"Come here. I'm not going to hurt you." The man stated while holding out his hand.

Kaoru stared at the man. Her eyes narrowed and considered the man. "You're lying. You probably intend to kill me. Who are you and what do you want?" She asked while glaring at him from across the room. 'I don't like this guy. I can almost smell dried blood on him.' Kaoru thought as she moved back until her back touched the wall.

"Well unfortunately I can't tell you my name, but what I want is all of your family dead. So little girl your time is up." He said before he got into the stance that had killed her father. Kaoru looked around and saw no escape. She closed her eyes and embraced death. A voice in her head yelled for release and young Kaoru listened. She opened her eyes revealing them to be black. The assassin looked curiously at her for a minute before regaining his senses. 'So this is the child with a Hidokiri spirit. Lets see if she knows how to fight.' He thought before charging. Kaoru ducked under the blade and slid between his legs, edging closer to the door.

"You took them away from her. If you had any sense in that head of yours you would leave this place and never come back." Stated Kaoru in a cruel, evil voice. She grabbed a bokken in the hallway where her father had always kept one. She looked at it for a minute before placing it back. She edged slowly toward her parent's room, keeping her opponent in front of her.

Finally they had reached the doorway. She performed a back flip and expertly picked up her father's katana before landing on her feet. Black eyes glared dangerously in the man's direction before charging at him. He blocked and pushed her away. She however had lunged back at him before he feet had even touched the ground. He had barely enough time to jump out of the way, her blade leaving a fine scratch on his cheek, which began bleeding lightly.

"It seems the rumors were true. They said you had great potential to be a Hidokiri at such a young age. I'm sure there would be a place for you where I work at. You would be paid as much as a professional three times older than you." He said while watching her expression carefully. He saw her contemplate the idea, but then those black orbs turned to him. He knew what the answer would be. She didn't need to say anything.

"You actually think I would join with the same group that killed my parents? What kind of psychotic fool are you?" She growled.

"Any normal person would have jumped at the chance to obtain that type of money, no matter what they had to do. However you aren't normal. I doubt you're even human." He remarked as he prepared for another attack.

"You're right. I'm not human. Humans always die. I find ways to cheat death and become stronger. Remember my name. It's Night Flash. If you come near Crimson Light or anyone she cares about again, you won't live long enough to regret meeting me." She said while attacking. As the last statement was said she had penetrated his defenses and had the katana up to his neck. She lightly ran it along until there was a cross shape on his neck. She then jumped away from him and locked her gaze with his again.

"Now if you wish to live you'll leave. I won't allow you to harm her ever again." Night Flash said as she turned her back to the assassin. He grabbed his neck, uttered a few curses and left. Night Flash sighed and slowly released her control on Crimson Light, allowing herself to sink into Kaoru's mind. Before Kaoru gained full control Night Flash reminded Kaoru of how to release her if she was ever in trouble.

Back at the apartment the others watched Kaoru carefully. She had been out for 3 hours and had suddenly started thrashing as if reliving a nightmare. She had once reached for Kenshin but then quickly withdrew her hand. At times her eyes would open, but it was like she was somewhere else. Her eyes became black and Kenshin began ordering the others away from her. But as soon as it began it had ended and Kaoru had begun to stir. Megumi rushed past Kenshin and waited patiently for Kaoru to regain consciousness, A few minutes later she did. After reassuring Megumi she was alright, her and Sano both left. Kenshin looked at Kaoru.

"What did you see?" He asked coldly.

"I saw who killed my parents. I will track him down and kill him the same way he killed them." She replied with pure black eyes. Kenshin saw and began reaching for his katana.

"I'm not looking to fight you. I'll let you know this. If you harm Crimson Light in anyway, I'll kill you. Now I think it's about time we discussed about her other sides. It's wise if you know who we are. That way you'll know when to run." Night Flash replied with a smile as cold as ice.

* * *

A.N. I realized Kenshin is a little bit OOC but it was actually the Rurouni playing Soul Calibur. If you have any questions just ask in the review and I'll answer them in the next chapter. And for the last time I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I just borrow Kenshin and Enishi for a while. They're teaching me they're sword styles. And it's time for my lessons now. Until next chapter, remember to R&R.


	5. Answers Given

Deep Into The Unknown

Chapter 5  
Answers Given 

Kenshin slowly got up from his seat and turned to face Night Flash. Night Flash just gave her evil smile and led Kenshin to the kitchen and took a seat on the far side of the table. He took the seat opposite of her and waited patiently for her to begin.

Night Flash took a deep breath and began her tale.

"It started many years ago. I was the first of her many personalities who came. I came when her parents were killed by an unknown assassin. He tried to kill Kaoru as well, but I told her how to release us and I fought him off. Then I calmly retreated back into her mind, only to come out when I was needed. That was the way it went for many years. That was before the others came.

Silver Streak was the next one to arrive. Since her parent's death Kaoru had been miserable. She locked away her emotions and vowed never to show them ever again. Then she met this one boy who was always made fun of. She saved him during one of his sessions of being attacked by the other children. The boy had looked up to her and she decided that maybe it was the time to forget her vow and to actually show her emotions once again. That however did not last long.

A few weeks after saving the kid, his parents got in a violent fight. The boy and his mother died and the father committed suicide. The news stunned Crimson Light beyond belief. Once again she retreated into herself and this time the vow continued for 7 years. By that time she had entered high school. She was made fun of like that boy, but she never showed her persecutors how she felt. Then Kuro Ryū had arrived. Kuro took it upon herself to be Crimson Light's guardian, and set out to show those fools just who they were messing with. She acted like she was going to tell them something important after school, and acted like they all were friends. When they got outside, she proceeded to kick their asses. She nearly killed them all. Crimson Light regained control just in time to spare their lives. Since then she's become more careful of who she talks to and who she lets close to her.

Now we start to descend to the darker sides other than myself. First is Tooriama. As you can tell, she's one of the sides you don't want to meet. Because of Kuro being around, we forced Crimson Light to undergo rigorous training. She was noticed and was asked to do a few assassination missions. If I'm correct she did about 20 missions. Then she decided to quit. She told her boss she got bored of it all. He forcefully insisted she stay and she revealed to him how she became such a good assassin. He met Tooriama for the first and last time.

Next is Akuma. You'll know it's her when Crimson Light's eyes turn red. She's about 5 times worse than me, so you might want to run then. She goes insane and will kill anything that moves, no matter what it is. All the stress of having the other sides slowly started getting to her. She separated herself from what little friends she had. One night she was training when she started remembering the past. The next thing she knew, her katana was deeply embedded in a large tree trunk. She decided it was best to leave her hometown and to find a quite place, like the Carpathian Mountains. She stayed there for a few years making a few friends with men like Mikhail Dubrinsky and Adian Savage, just to name a couple. They showed her how to suppress the others and taught her a few attacks in their style of swordsmanship. She then came back to her home, where you found and kidnapped her.

Finally there's Aka Ryū. She's the second appointed guardian. I can tell you're getting bored so I'll make this as brief as possible. I chose several defensive techniques that Mikhail showed Crimson Light. We attempted to duplicate them, but since the balance of power was tilted toward evil, it never seemed to work. After many failed attempts, we had just about given up. It seemed that only Carpathians could do it because they managed to overcome the darkness around their souls. However, during training, Kuro Ryū was knocked out and Akuma went after Crimson Light. Before Crimson Light was hit, Akuma was sent flying. Aka Ryū stepped forward and took Kuro's place. The two began fighting while the others watched. Kuro regained consciousness and at first thought about attacking Aka Ryū but began fighting Akuma as well. Akuma retreated and the two dragons sized each other up before shaking hands. The techniques were tried once again and they worked. Thus Crimson Light was able to hold the others off longer than before.

That concludes my tale. I don't care if you believe it, because you'll find out the truth soon enough. You know my power, but you'll soon know the other's. You really don't want to meet Akuma and if you do, you should heed my warning. I'm not sure how long Crimson Light can hold her back." Night Flash finished as she got up from her seat. An arm reached out and pulled her back. She looked and saw Battousai's eyes glow amber, and she refrained letting Crimson Light out to show him how much she feared him.

"Why are you afraid?" His cold voice asked.

"I'm not afraid of you. Crimson Light is. From the way you act, I can't blame her."

"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm not one people like. I'm not surprised that she fears me. Everyone else does, so why not her as well."

"However you have a nicer side. Yet you never allow him any freedom. You should since it might calm Crimson Light down."

"Why should I care how she feels?" Battousai asked with his fists clenched. His anger was reaching a boiling point.

"Because if she's angry I'll come out and we'll have an interesting little chat. A chat with swords that is." Night Flash replied with a smirk on her lips. "Now if you don't mind this discussion ended a while ago." She stated as she twisted out of Battousai's grip and walked back into the living room of the apartment.

She was suddenly slammed into the wall. She turned her head and saw red hair. She elbowed Battousai in the stomach and turned around to face him. "It's not over yet." He said as he shoved her back into the wall. "I never wanted it to come to this but you asked for it." A new voice called back. Battousai was knocked to the ground since his legs fell from underneath him. He looked up and saw dark red eyes. "Who are you?" he asked while getting to his feet. "My name is Aka Ryū. You've crossed a line, Battousai. You've officially made a dragon your enemy." Aka Ryū replied while she drew her dual bladed katanas.

As if on cue a voice across the hall yelled, "What's going on in there? People are trying to sleep." Shortly after that the door opened and Sanosuke walked in, only to be met with two pairs of heated stares. " I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" He asked while staring at Aka Ryū's katanas. Kaoru's eyes faded back to blue and she looked up to see Battousai's glare. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you two alone to talk now." She said while keeping her head down. She turned and walked to the first room she found and shut the door, leaving a baffled Sano staring at Kenshin.

"Ok. What did you do this time?" Sano asked.

"You act as if it's all my fault."

"That's because it always is. You should lighten up around Jou-Chan. It's not like she wants to be here, but yet she has to put up with you all the time. I kinda feel sorry for her." Sano said as he walked back to his apartment. Kenshin stared at the closed door for a moment before searching for Kaoru.

It wasn't too hard to find her since she had chosen the door the led to his room. He opened the door and found her huddled in the farthest corner from the door. His eyes flashed amber once before turning purple. "Miss Kaoru I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." He said as he walked toward the corner. Kaoru shrank back as far as she could as he drew closer. Kenshin visibly flinched when he saw just how scared she was. He sat down in front of her and pulled her to him in an embrace. She reacted just as he feared she would. She struggled to get out of his hold, which made him hold on tighter. He felt something wet on his shoulder that made his heart sink. He was the cause of all of this and he knew it.

"Why won't you leave me alone? All you want to do is hurt me in some way. Please leave me alone." Kaoru said in a whisper. Kenshin let go and turned her to face him. "Now why would I want to hurt you Kaoru?" He asked with sincerity in his eyes. Kaoru turned her head away as a tear fell down her cheek. Kenshin reached out and wiped it away. "You asked why? It's what you do. Ever since you've met me that's all you've done. It's all you'll ever do." Kaoru softly replied as the tears continued to fall. The reply startled Kenshin so much that his hold loosed and Kaoru slipped past him and ran out the door. Kenshin quickly followed until he saw Kaoru trip and fall. He caught her before she hit the ground. He carried her to the couch and sat with her head on his shoulder while her tears subsided. When they finally stopped, Kenshin noticed something. She had fallen asleep on top of him. He blushed bright red and tried to move without disturbing her, but she grabbed his neck and held on. His assassin training had never covered this. His eyes turned back to amber as he slipped out of her grasp, almost waking her. Battousai sighed as he walked into his room, grabbed a spare quilt, and placed it carefully over Kaoru. He then grabbed his katana and headed out the door to the meeting he was told to attend at the first opportunity.

He walked down the long corridors and walked toward the meeting room, where Katsura was waiting on him. Battousai stood over in the corner and waited for Katsura to speak.

"Do you know why I called you here?"

"Yes, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

"You're right. As you probably know, the Shinsangumi are gathering their forces. One in particular you might be interested in is now going by the name Goro Fujita now. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out who he is. Also as far as the murder of the girl's father, it is none of your concern. If she wants to hunt the killer down, she can. However I'll not waste any of my forces on a mission that won't benefit this organization. You can tell her that if you wish, but do not volunteer your services to such a mission. If you do, I'll have this whole organization hunting the both of you down. Is that clear?"

"I understand, but I think you'd better think of how many lives you'll lose if you send anyone after me. You know my power Katsura. If you won't help Kaoru, then I will. No matter what the consequences may be. As for Mr. Fujita, I think I might have a chat with him. Why didn't you tell me that the Wolf of Mibu was in town?"

"I thought you would enjoy finding it out yourself. I know that you two have a few scores to settle, so when would you ever get a better chance?" Katsura replied as he motioned for Battousai to leave. Battousai quickly left and rushed back to his room. He heard sobbing on the other side of the door. Then he smelled blood, and opened the door.

Kaoru stood by the window, blood coming from a cut by her lower lip while she stared at her own reflection with hatred. Battousai resisted heading toward her and let this play out. Kaoru reached up and wiped the blood away with disgust.

"How could I be so stupid? Silver Streak, I want you to take over here, in case Battousai comes back." She spoke aloud without realizing it. Battousai watched closely as her eyes glazed over and were replaced with silver. Silver Streak sighed as the fight began. She then felt a hand on her arm. She turned and saw Battousai's bright amber eyes.

"What is she doing?"

"She's training. Why should you care?"

"Because it's my job. I'm supposed to be taking care of her until she's outlived her usefulness."

Red eyes stared back at him. "Is that the real reason? I think you're hiding your feelings from yourself. That would explain the Rurouni. You should never hide from yourself. You had a choice in acquiring another personality. Aka Hikari didn't."

"Hikari?"

"That's right. Aka Hikari or Crimson Light. I figured you of all people would know what it meant."

"Why do you protect her?"

"It's my duty to her. Unlike you, I have no hidden motive. I never will. I vowed when I met her to help Kuro Ryū protect her until I am killed. Seeing as only those two can kill us, I shall not fear their judgment, but accept it." Aka Ryū replied while moving away from Battousai.

"Even if the one you must protect her from is yourself?"

"Are you implying that I would harm Aka Hikari?" She asked while mentally watching the fight.

"No. By the way, who's winning?"

That was the last draw for Aka Ryū. "That is none of your business, mortal. If she was in danger of being killed, either Kuro Ryū or myself would assist her. Now if you wish to live you'll back up and stop asking questions." She stated while reaching for her katana, which was on the couch near her.

Battousai beat her to it. He grinned and tossed it to the other side of the room. Aka Ryū growled and began watching him closely. All he did was smirk and wait for her to move. When she made a motion to go for the sword, he moved to block her path. All she did was laugh.

"So you're finally ready to play?" She asked as she flipped over him and grabbed her sword. Battousai moved to knock her feet out from underneath her, but she jumped up and kicked him in the face. Battousai swore under his breath and reached out to grab her. She ducked under his arm and knocked his feet out from under him.

"Having fun yet?" She asked with she playfully dodged his attacks. 'She's enjoying this? What the hell is she?' He thought to himself as he tried to get her sword away from her, which she had yet to use. Finally she let her guard down. Battousai launched himself at her and knocked her to the ground. She elbowed him in the neck, neatly knocking the wind out of him. While he struggled for breath, Aka Ryū shoved him off her.

"You're a fool. It's impossible for you to win so just give up."

"You think for one second that I'm going to let this fight go on? Sorry to disappoint you bitch, but that isn't going to happen." He replied as he grabbed her waist and pinned her to the ground. She continued to struggle and he was losing patience.

"If you value Aka Hikari's life, you'll stop struggling. You're only making this harder for her."

"I'll never let you have your way with her. She's been through too much for me to allow that to happen." She replied as she brought her knee up and caught him in a very sensitive area. Battousai had no choice but to loosen his hold on her. She took advantage of it and kicked him in the face. While he was on the ground, she smiled and walked out the door. Battousai gritted his teeth against the pain and stood up. His whole body was bruised and battered but that didn't matter. He had to get her back.

He ran out the door and right into Sano. Battousai pushed Sano out of the way and ran after Aka Ryū. Sano shrugged and quickly ran after him. Battousai could faintly hear her footsteps, until they suddenly stopped. Sensing something was wrong, he stood perfectly still and began counting the seconds until it was safe to move. He peeked around the corner to see the main door open and a pair of footprints in the snow. Battousai cursed his luck and grabbed one of the nearby coats, not caring who it belonged to, and ran out into the snow.

A.N.: There's chapter 5 for you. Remember that I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the Carpathians. The Carpathians belong to Christine Feehan. Sorry about the sudden ending, but it was necessary. I'll get to work on the next chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers and my beta reader.


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